Improvement in harvesters



-of which will be best understood NrrfED STATES) PATENT4 GFFIGE.

oYRENUs WHEELER, JR., AND eALvIN YOUNG, or AUBURN, NEw YORK.

IMPROVEMENT In HARVESTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 113,475, dated April 4, 1371.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that we, GYRENUS WHEELER, Jr., `and CALVIN YOUNG, both of Auburn, county of'Cayuga, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improve- -ments in Harvesting-Machines, of which the -Similar letters of ,reference denote corresponding parts in all the iigures.

The invention relates to a novel construction of the quadrant rack or plate which holds Ythe lever for adjusting the angle of the eutting apparatus and platform, whereby the p0-` sition ofthe lever may be changed to suit the different positions ofthe drivers seat in reaping and mowing; also, to the arrangement of means for keeping the rake-driving chain or belt under suitable tension in any position of the hinged adjustable platform or shoe upon which the rake is mounted; also, to the manner of clutching the sprocket `wheel or pulley which drives the rake to, or unclutching itv from, its driving shaft oraxle, for throwing the rake into or out of action; also, to the construction of the treadle or foot-lever which operates the rake-latch; and to certain other details of construction and arrangement, all

from the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the axle; B B, the driving wheels `mounted thereon; C, the vibrating cutter-` frame; C', the Seat and tongue-frame; D, the

-inner hinged shoe, and D the linger bar, the

construction and arrangement of which parts having been described in a patent granted to GYRENUS WHEELER, Jr., February 9, 1864, need not be further described here. Upon the rear right-hand corner of the cutter-frame C;

.is a toothed vquadrant or sector plate, E, shown l thereto.

in detached view, Fig. 3, and bolted or otherwise rmly secured to the frame. c is a spur or hook-formed upon or attached to plate E, and C2 is a rod provided at its -rear end with -an eye or loop, which couples the `rear end of the rod-with the spur c, the forward end of said rod being bent at right angles or thereabout, and connected with a perforated standard, GX, on the draft-frame G1. The standard GX is expanded at its upper end, and provided with a series of perfbrations, into any one of which the forward bent end of rod G2 may be 4inserted and held, thereby'serving to hold the frame G at any desired angle to frame C1, to which it Vmay be placed for regulating the height ofthe rear end of said frame G, and of the cutting apparatus and platform attached The standard GX may be formed upon frame C1,or it may be made separate and removable therefrom,'and when removable, may be connected with the frame by means of bolts passing through the standard and through an upright ear or lug, c', formed on the frame. i

This quadrant E, when adapted for use on the machine in reaping, is made in form substantially as represented in full lines, Fig. 3, a portion of the upper face (at e) being cut away to accommodate the rake standard mounted on the hinged shoe, and overhangbolted to -plate E in positionshown in dotted lines, Fig. 3,` and the upper face oredgeJ-of plate E then assumes theform of the arc-cfa' circle, extending from o1 to e2,`the center of which is coincident with the pivot which connects the shoe coupling-.piece F with the frame, and upon .which pivot also 'the lever Gr, for

adjustingthe an gleo'f rthe cutting .apparatus and platform, is supported., l The upper edge of plategE is notched toy receive a latch-slide .appliedto lever G, and serves to hold `the le- Vver at the desired point lof adjustment. The

lever is." provided with `two or more ears or arms, g g', and is connected with the pivoted couplingpiece F by a lilik, f, pivoted to arm g when the machine is used for reaping', with the parts arranged as shown in Fig.v 1.

When the machine is used for mowing, or the raking apparatus is removed, the drivers seat, instead of being set forward upon the tongue, as represented in the drawings, is set back, and the foot of the seat-standard O. is bolted to the seat and tongue plate or frame at c c, in which case, in order to bring the adjusting-lever Gr in to convenient relation tothe drivers seat, the link fV is disconnected from arm g and connected to arm g on said lever, therebyT throwingl the lever up into a more nearly vertical position, as shown in' Fig. 7;.

For thepurpose of maintaining:therake-d-rving chain H at a nearly uniformtension under all the varying positions of the rake, which conforms to the `movements of the hinged;cut ting appa-ratas and platform, azvibratinggsguidepulley, block, or arm,.shown;i,n planfview,..Fig. 2, is employed. Said arm is made in two parts, I I', the former of which, I,:isapivo tedI at one end upon a suitable supportingblock 0r plate, J, on the frame C, .and the other, l', is connected adjustably by means-of slotsaand set-.screws M', with thevibrating end .of part I forming an adjustable extension of saidaarm, by means of which the proper tension may be lgiven to chain H passing` overguide-pulleys k lc k1 k2. The outer or swingingendof arm I I is` connected by ay rod or 1ink,$K,. witlrthe upper end of the rake-standard,.and the vibrav tions of the latter are communicated. through said. rod to arm I', and the pulleys' mounted thereon, which are thereby madetomaintain the rake-driving chain H at a nearlyuniform tension. passes from the sprocket-,wheel on therakeshaft over the several guide-pulleys on, arms I l', and thence to a driving sprocket wheel on the outer end of the main axle A,and-con nected therewith as follows: L is a hub or sleeve, mounted on the end of the axle, and keyed or otherwise fastened, so as to turn. with the axle, and M is the driving sprocket-wheel mounted loosely on sleeve L,.and heldzin place. thereon by means of a head orcol1ar,rl, on thel outer end of the sleeve. (See Figs..2 and 4.) L', Fig. 5, is a coupling. or clutch plate,.pro videdwith slots l and notches m, and'secured to the outer end or face of sleeve L by means of a set-screw, N, passing through theplate and head into the end of axle A, as shown` in Fig. 2. The outer face of the sprocket-wheel is provided with spurs m, one or more, and the head or collar L is also provided with spurs l, the purpose of which is as'follows: The notched and perforated plate L being secured to the face or end of sleeve L by the setscrew N is caused to rotate therewith, and when it is desired to operate the rake the plate is turned until the spurs mand l enter the The chain H which dri-vesithe rake.

slots m and pcrforations l', when by tighteningthe set-screw the sleeve and sprocketlwheel M are coupled together, causing the rosprocket-wheel and rotates with the sleeve without rotating'said wheel. i

The driving-wheels B being connected with the axle by the usual baeking-ratchets, the axle and the sprocket-wheel and rake operated therefrom will, of course, remain stationary when themachine is backed.

The drivers seat O, when the machine is used for reaping with the automatic rake applied, is mounted upon a seat-board, O2, attached to the pole or tongue P of the machine, and` is supported by the tongue and a seat bar or'strap, It, extending back from the board to the seat and tongue plate or frame C', as represented in Fig. l.

With this arrangement of the seat a longer pole isrequired than when the seat is applied directly to the seat and tongue plate or frame C', asdescribed, and to provide for this requirement an extension socket-piece, P', is used, theconstruction and manner of applying which are shown in Figs. l and 6.

S is an angular rod or bar, attached at both ends to the .seat-board O2 by clasps o; and T is a treadle mounted on the transverse horizontal portion of rod S in convenient position tobe actuated by the foot of the driver for operatin g the. rake-tripping device connected therewith by means of a cord, t. The treadle 'll-may be either cast or stamped up in one piece provided with the arm t, to which the cord t is connected, and also with the loop t2, which. .embraces one of the supporting ends or armss of'rod S, and serves as a stop to limit the throw of the treadle, and also to hold it `always in proper position to bev operated by the drivers foot. The clasps o are provided with a. semicircular socket at o', which firmly `clasps theends of rods S to the foot-board or other support, and obviates the necessity of flattening andperforating, or otherwise weakening the rod, as is done in the ordinarymode of uniting such' rods with the machine, besides permitting a ready adjustment of the rod longitudinally when such adjustment is found desirable.

Parts of the machine not herein particularly described may be of any usual construction.

Having now described the invention, what is claimed as new, and sought to be secured by Letters Patent,.is-

1. The sector plate or quadrant E, provided with the removable part E", and arranged in the described relation to the overhan ging rakestandard, substantially as set forth.

loosely on the end of the axle, and connected therewith for operating the rake by means of the sleeve or hub L and clutch-plate lL', substantially as described.

5. The treadle T, provided With [the arm t and loop' t2, constructed as described.

C. vWHEELER, JR. GALVlN YOUNG. Witnesses: HORACE T. COOK,

HIRAM BRINKERHOFF. 

